Maize production in 2015 expected to decline significantly from the bumper output of 2014. Consequently, the subregional maize import requirements are forecast to increase sharply in 2015/16. Maize prices increased in South Africa, the major subregional exporter, by nearly 30 percent since the beginning of the year. Food security improved significantly in 2014/15 following last year’s bumper crop; however, current production prospects raise concern.

Conflict escalation and displacements resulted in serious disruptions in market, trade and livelihood activities, exacerbating the already precarious food insecurity situation in the country. The 2015 cropping season has coincided with the escalation of the conflict thus compromising the outcome. More than half of Yemen’s population (61 percent out of 25.9 million people) is estimated to be in need of humanitarian assistance.

International cereal prices remained under downward pressure in March. Overall, quotations were well below their year-earlier levels reflecting ample global supplies. Fluctuations in the exchange rates in March continued to influence cereal price changes in importing and exporting countries of CIS and South America. Weakening national currencies continued to push cereal prices to record levels in several countries or prevent significant price declines, while appreciating currencies put downward pressure on...

Main food crops and agricultural export commodities badly damaged or destroyed. Fishery infrastructure severely impacted. Livelihoods of a large proportion of the country’s population compromised by the impact of the cyclone. International food and agriculture assistance is urgently needed to avoid deterioration of the food security situation.

Export prices of wheat and maize continued to decline in February, as a result of ample world supplies and strong export competition. International rice quotations also remained under downward pressure. Cereal prices were significantly below their levels in February last year. The appreciation of the US dollar continued to support domestic cereal prices in February in both exporting and importing countries, notably in South America and Asian CIS. In South...

Crop Prospects and Food Situation is published by the Trade and Markets Division of FAO under the Global Information and Early Warning System (GIEWS). It is published four times a year and focuses on developments affecting the food situation of developing countries and the Low-Income Food-Deficit Countries (LIFDCs) in particular. The report provides a review of the food situation by geographic region, a section dedicated to the LIFDCs and a...

The FAO/GIEWS Country Cereal Balance System (CCBS) is a database of annual supply and utilization balances for main cereals, covering all countries of the world. It has been maintained by FAO/GIEWS since 1980 and is updated on a continual basis. This statistical report, which is a subset of CCBS data, presents the current-year cereal supply and demand balances for all sub-Saharan African countries, highlighting cereal import and food aid requirements...

Export prices of wheat and maize declined in January reflecting large global supplies and favourable prospects for the 2015 crops. International quotations of rice continued to weaken with the completion of the 2014 main harvests. Overall, cereal export prices were below their year-earlier values. Despite relatively low international cereal prices, the depreciation of national currencies in several importing countries has put upward pressure on domestic prices in recent months, particularly in...